Air-heater.



UNITED STATES l atented March 15, 1904.

JOHN WATERHOUSE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AIR-HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 754,726, dated March15, 1904.

Application filed October 1, 1902.

I citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York,borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Air- Heaters, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for heating orreheating compressed air to be used in drying material in machines such,for instance, as shown in patents granted to me under date. of May 8,1900, No. 649,376, and May 1 1, 1901, No. 674E,3O9although the inventionis not confined to the devices shown in the patents, the object being toprovide a heater of simple construction, in which the heat may be easilyregulated to the desired temperature for the material under treatment.

I will describe an air-heater embodying my invention and then point outthe novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a general plan view of a heater embodying my invention andthe connections thereof. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the heater.Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof, and Fig. 4 is a sectional detailshowing a modification in the heater construction.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a high-pressure blower operatedby steam from the steam-boiler 2, and 3 indicates the heater, while atshows a drying-tumbler, such as shown in my patents above mentioned.

The heater consists of a cylinder 3,v having the outer headers 5 6 atits opposite ends and the inner headers 7 8 spaced from the outerheaders. The space between the headers 5 and 7 is divided by means of apartition 9 to form two chambers 10 and 11, and from the chamber 10 aseries of pipes 12 lead from the inner header 7 through the inner header8, and steam-conducting pipes or tubes 13 lead from the inner header 8through the inner header 7 and into the chamber 11;

The outer-headers are secured by means of tumbler.

Serial No. 125,470. (No model.)

bolts to flanged rings 1 1, which are bolted to the cylinder, and theinner headers are also bolted to the cylinder. In Fig. 2 I have shownstay-bolts 15 as extending between the headers 5 and 7. A preferableconstruction, however, may be seen in Fig. 4c. In this construction thepartition 9 is secured to the inner header 7 by means of bolts passingthrough angle-plates 16. Secured to the partition are bolts 17, designedto pass through openings in the outer header. By this arrangement afterremoving the outer header the partition may be readily removed withoutfirst removing the inner header when it is desired to clean out thetubes or otherwise make repairs.

From the blower air is conducted to the heater through a pipe 18. Fromthe pipe 18 a branch 19 leads into the chamber 10, and in this branch isa valve 20, and between this branch pipe and the blower the main pipe 18is provided with a regulating-valve 21.

From the chamber 11 a branch pipe 22 leads to the tumbler. A by-passpipe 23, provided with a valve 24, connects the branch pipes, and theobject of this by-pass will more fully appear hereinafter.

From the boiler 2 a steam-pipe 25 leads into the heater between theinner headers and near one end at the top, while from the bottom at theopposite end between the headers an exhaust-pipe 26 leads to a trap 27,from which it may be discharged in the formof waste or may be returnedto the boiler by any suitable means.-

In operation the air to be heated is supplied by means of thehigh-pressure blower 1, or it may be drawn from any air-receiver inwhich compressed air is stored. The air passes through the pipe 18,where the flow may be regulated by means of the valve 21, and thencethrough the branch 19 into the chamber 10, it being understood that atthis time the valve 24 may be closed. The air now passes through thepipes or tubes 12 to the chamber between the headers 6 and 8 and thenceback through the pipes or tubes 13 to the chamber 11, from which itpasses through the branch 22 .to the The tumbler is provided with athermometer at each end, wherein the temperature of the interior may benoted. The heater between the inner headers is supplied with live steamfrom the boiler through the pipe 25, and the condensation passes outthrough the pipe 26, as above indicated. By this arrangement the smallair-tubes 12 and 13 are thoroughly and rapidly heated by live steam,which is a good absorbent of radiant heat, and this is furtherintensified by the pressure, while dry air is a poor absorbent ofradiant heat and must be heated by contact, which is accomplished byforcing the air under alower pressure through the small heated tubes,thus causing every particle of the air to come in contact with theheated surfaces, and so heating it to a maximum temperature of about 328Fahrenheit under a gage-pressure of steam in the boiler of about onehundred pounds.

The flow of air to the tumbler is regulated by the valve 21, and itstemperature is controlled by the valves and 24-that is, in case the airis heated to too high a temperature in passing through the heater air ofa low temperature or cold air may be mingled with the heated air beforepassing into the tumbler by opening the valve 24 and also opening thevalve 20 to more or less degree.

As the valves 20 and 24: are close together and adjacent to the heater,an attendant may quickly adjust them to secure the desired temperature.

By observing the reading of the thermometers in the tumbler and properlyadjusting the two valves 20 and 24: the temperature of the air in thetumbler may be regulated to a nicety.

Having thus described my invcn tion, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In combination with a drier and an aircompressor, aheater, an exhaust-trap having communication with the heater, apipeleading from the compressor, a valve in said pipe, a branch leading fromthe pipe into one end of the heater, a valve in said branch, a branchleading from said heater to the drier, a by-pass connecting the twobranches, and a valve in the by-pass, the said valve in the branch andthe valve of the by-pass being directly in front of the heater and closetogether, and the said branch valve being between the other two valves.

2. Aheater for the purpose described, comprising a cylinder, outerheaders on the ends of said cylinder, inner headers arranged in thecylinder and spaced from the outer headers, a partition arranged in oneof said spaces, angle-plates bolted to said partition and to the innerheader, and bolts attached to said partition for passing through theouter header, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN W ATERHOUSE.

Witnesses:

J NO. M. BITTER, C. R. FERGUSON.

